So, I want to make meal replacement shakes... and I am wondering if protein powder is a good idea or if it will have an adverse affect on my weight loss...? Anyone have any experience with this type of thing? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! xoxoxo
i usuually have myoplex light protein shake for breakfast every morning. it has 190 calories, 2 g fat, and 1 g sugar. the strawberry and vanilla are pretty good. ive been having them just about every morning for 2 months and have been averaging 2-3 lbs a week in weight loss so it works well for me, hope this helps!
I like muscle milk light for protein shakes.
If your looking at meal replacements, GNC has Lean Shake. It's pretty good. It's got the nutrition of a real meal.
I don't use shakes as meal replacements because, quite honestly, they don't satisfy me like real food does and I wind up "snacking" to feel satisfied. Which totally defeats the purpose of the shake.
I *do* use protein powder to make my own shakes to supplement my protein intake. Since I've started lifting weights, I've been increasing my protein working towards getting 120-130g per day.
I use the EAS vanilla powder, which I can get at Sam's or Costco. It tastes pretty good - although I usually mix it with other stuff and tweak the taste. I sometimes mix it with orange juice (when I have the calories available) and it tastes just like an Orange Julius from the mall. Other times I'll mix it with milk which is not bad. If I really need to conserve calories, I'll mix it with water and add a splash of vanilla and cinnamon which is actually pretty darned good.
I can't drink most of my meals. They don't satisfy me enough. I do use them for a snack once in awhile if I don't have time to actually fix food. I use muscle milk light in a shaker.
There are times when I'll have a shake for breakfast - but it is a yogurt/fruit/protein powder shake in the blender and not just a water/protein shake from a shaker.
My favorites are muscle milk light and labrada lean body. Both have loads of protein with minimal calories, carbs and sugar.
to prevent late night snacking I freeze fruit and make a shake in my blender with it. It satisfys my addiction to icecream and keeps me from eating the wrong things at night.
I stopped using Lean Shake because my brain doesn't seem to register a drink as a meal. So my brain says I'm still hungry and so I snack. But protein actually helps me. My guy has lost mad weight by doing meal replacements for two meals a day (dr supervised, medical shakes). So I've seen first hand that it works. I just dont have the willpower and I like to eat food!
I have a smoothie for breakfast every morning that I make with whey protein, yogurt, milk, frozen fruit, banana. I can't do the typical protein drinks - like Photo Chick, I saw them as a beverage and then ended up eating something else to go with them.... The smoothie is working great for breakfast, though. The fruit makes a difference.
I did try the vanilla protein powder in orange juice the other day, blended it with a little ice, and it was really good.
When I'm short on time I've been taking a protein shake in the morning. I take water, protein powder, frozen fruit, and a small amount of oatmeal (pre-ground in the blender, I keep it handy). I find the oatmeal and fruit add enough bulk that it works well as a meal replacement. I also usually take a protein shake (with fruit on the side) before bed. It keeps me from raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night. I doubt I could substitute a shake for a meal when I was around the house, or say for lunch.
Ok, I Googled it and found the marketing hype. There is *nothing* in Aria that is any different from any whey/soy protein blend you can get on the market. Utterly nothing. Except it's about 2x as expensive as everything else out there.
Find a good whey powder - EAS is good and reasonably inexpensive (I get it at Sam's Club) or another that's often recommended is Optimum 100%.
You want at least 20g of protein per serving and a calorie count of around 100-130 per serving.
It's a marketing scheme to get you to pay more money - pure and simple.
x2
I looked at the nutritional data. Per two scoops:
120 cals
3g fat
9g carbs
5g fiber
14g protein
So, I wouldn't call it strictly a protein shake as less than 50% of the calories come from protein. It's a whey/soy blend with fructose and flavourings added. Although I wouldn't buy it, this is closer to a meal replacement shake (ie. with the carbs, fat and fiber).